These are particularly cute and make a wonderful gift, but they require a little TLC to make. I’ll be honest – they’re fiddly. Don’t start making them late on Christmas Eve unless you’re prepared to still be covered in white chocolate when reindeer hooves thunder across your roof.

Serve in place of rice or couscous – it’s a clever way of adding another helping of vegetables to your day. This is a very versatile recipe; with cauliflower or parsnip as a base, use whatever additional vegetables you have available and add your favourite herbs, spices and nuts. (You may want to leave out the red onion if you plan to serve it to children.)

Here’s a recipe which makes a great accompaniment to all kinds of fruit – particularly stonefruit, bananas, apples and strawberries. Drizzle it over ice cream, dip fruit into it, or (just between you and me) no one could blame you for eating it straight off the spoon.

There is something rather addictive about chocolate porridge so you may find yourself wanting to make it again and again. In that case, make life easier for yourself by throwing a big jar of bulk mix together.